Liar's Truth
by TartanLioness
Summary: BASED ON THE MOVIES! C&J! After Clarisse turns Joseph's proposal down, she speaks to Charlotte.


Title: Liar's Truth

Author: TartanLioness

Summary: After Clarisse turns Joseph down in PD2, she talks to Charlotte.

Authors Note: This is my first Princess Diaries story!

Duty. Just another four-letter word to some. But to Clarisse Renaldi, Queen of Genovia, duty was a part of life.

The queen sighed deeply as she sat down in a chair in her suite. She had always chosen duty over love. When she accepted to marry the king of Genovia, she had been in love with someone else but had given him up for the sake of duty. Of course now she knew that what she had thought was love had only been a foolish infatuation and as it was, she had grown quite fond of Rupert as the years went by. And now she had once again chosen the duty to her country over the duty to her heart and she had lost the man she loved doing so. This time she was sure it wouldn't have a happy end. A tear slipped down the usually composed queen's cheek. With an impatient gesture she wiped it away.

"Joseph," she whispered. "Joseph… Joseph…"

A hand on her shoulder startled her. Snapping her head around, she tried to get her queen-mask back in place. Her tear-filled eyes met Charlotte's worried ones.

"Your Majesty," whispered the younger woman. "Clarisse… I…"

"Charlotte, my dear," Clarisse acknowledged. Charlotte put a hesitating arm around her queen's shoulders and to her surprise, Clarisse didn't pull away. Actually she pulled even closer into the slightly awkward embrace.

"Have you… Have you ever had to choose between something that's been drummed into you your whole life and what you know must be true love?"

"No, Clar – Your Majesty, I haven't. I must admit, though, that I saw what happened between you and Joseph earlier. I've known you both for a long time and I don't think I've ever seen you both happier than you have been in the last five years. Ma'am, I saw you dance that day five years ago in San Francisco, I saw you leave together at the Independence Day Ball, I saw the way you looked at each other. I've kept a close look at 'the Eagle and her Mate' for several years now and I've noticed the hidden glances and the 'accidental' touches that just seem to linger for longer than necessary. And now all of a sudden you break his heart and your own too. What is going on! Umm… Your Majesty," she added with blushing cheeks and concerned eyes. At some point during her speech, she had pulled away slightly. Clarisse smiled sadly at the young woman, whom she had come to see as a friend.

"He asked me to marry him."

"But that's wonderful!" She looked happy and confused at the same time. "I don't understand how that could lead to…"

"Mia needs me now! Genovia needs me!" Clarisse sighed. "And you saw what happened. I didn't want it to be like that, I hoped he would understand that I have a duty to Genovia."

"But you also have a duty to your heart, Your Majesty and I know that you want to marry him!"

"Yes, Charlotte, I do, but that's beside the point. The point is that a queen doesn't get what she wants. She does what's best for her country. It's always been that way. I've lost him now."

"But he loves you. I know he does! I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you. The whole palace knows, Your Majesty."

"The whole palace! But… How!" The queen was absolutely astonished.

"It really is obvious, Madam."

"Oh… ah… I guess you're right," Clarisse sighed. "You know… my entire life has been nothing but a liar's truth. When I married Rupert, I hoped to find the kind of love I've now found with Joseph. Charlotte, my marriage to Rupert was never based on love; it was based on pure friendship. A marriage is not supposed to be that way! My marriage and my life were nothing but lies. And yet they were the truth. _My_ truth. My _only_ truth back then. It was always about duty! Duty to my country, to my family, but never to myself or my heart. And now I realize what I've missed out on and yet I throw it away. God, I'm such a fool!" She placed her head in her hands and gave a sigh of powerlessness.

"You are not a fool, Your Majesty! You are a woman who has never known anything but responsibility to her country her whole life. Your country and Princess Mia need you now and you acted the same way you always have: bypassing yourself and doing what's best for the country. Ma'am, you're not a fool," Charlotte smiled with tears in her eyes. "You're a queen in love. It's as simple as that."

"Simple! Goodness, Charlotte, a century ago I would have been killed and Josep as well!"

"But this is not a century ago, Your Majesty, this is now! You won't get executed for admitting your feelings openly."

"Oh, I know. But it all doesn't matter now."

"But if you would just _talk_ to him, I'm sure he would listen…"

"No, Charlotte. I just can't do it. I mustn't lose control!" With a curt nod, Charlotte rose and left the room.

"I never thought I'd see you give up," she muttered to herself.

Outside, in the park, Joseph was wandering around with no particular aim. His mind was filled with images from the conversation earlier. He couldn't get his mind off of the look in her eyes as she had broken his heart. Somewhere deep inside he knew that she had broken her own heart as well but that didn't make him feel better in the least. On the contrary, knowing that she was hurting only made his heart shatter even more.

When he came back to his rooms, he sat down at his desk, not paying attention to the tv that was playing in the background. His entire focus was on the task at hand: writing his letter of retirement. He was growing older and had been working at the palace for too long to be comfortable anywhere else. He couldn't stay at the palace after Mia's coronation; he couldn't bear to be that close to his darling Clarisse. With an air of finality, he signed the formal document and went to bed. Sleep, however, didn't find him and he kept tossing and turning. Mia's wedding was in two days and he knew that that was what should be filling his head but all he could think of was Clarisse and what he was going to tell her when he handed in his letter.

After he left the next morning, the maid came to clean. As most maids, Lisa was very curious and very gossipy, so when she saw a single piece of paper lying on the usually spotless desktop, her curiosity got the better of her and she bent over it to read. When she was about half-way through with it, she stopped reading, on the verge of tears. Joseph was retiring? Nearly every maid in the palace had, at some point or other had a crush on the tough-looking, leather-clad man and yet every maid knew that he would always belong to the queen, even though neither of those two seemed to have realized that.

Of course, the Royal staff had realized that some day their queen and her trusted head of security would marry and then he would retire, but this letter stated that he wanted his retirement effective on the day of Her Highness' coronation. In other words, as soon as possible for a man who had dedicated his entire life to protecting King Rupert, Queen Clarisse and their sons.

The maid finished her work quickly and nearly ran down to the kitchen. Heatedly she told her colleagues what she'd seen in Joe's rooms.

As the day went on, the rumour spread among the staff and the entire palace buzzed with questions. The young princess walked in on two maids whispering animatedly with each other. Asking them what was up, she certainly didn't like the answer they obediently gave her. However, she just nodded, turned on her heel and left. She felt numb in her entire body. Joe was leaving? But why! Should she tell grandma? She decided not to. That would only be another burden for the queen.

The rest of the day passed with wedding preparations and by nightfall, Mia's mind was twirling.

Clarisse woke up at dawn the next morning and went for a walk in the gardens with Maurice.

Also the soon-to-be retired Joseph was up and about at the crack of dawn. As he stood on the balcony, he noticed Maurice and Clarisse wandering the gardens. He followed them with his eyes wistfully. Soon he would leave this place forever, this place that had been his home for so many years. Soon he would leave his home, his heart and his soul behind.

"I love you, Clarisse. I always have and I always will," he whispered into the wind before turning and leaving. He never noticed that Clarisse looked up. With a sad smile she muttered, "I love you, Joseph."

Everything was ready for the royal wedding; Mia was there, Andrew was there, the guests had arrived and Joseph and his people were in their places.

"Hey Joe?" Princess Mia's voice didn't surprise the head of security. "I just wanted to tell you before I do this… I'm really sorry you're retiring." This surprised him. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Who told you that?" He could almost hear Mia wince.

"The maids know everything." That was true, he knew. He just wasn't aware that the royal family knew.

"Well, the heart does things for reasons that reason cannot understand," Joseph replied, feeling as though someone was stabbing him in the chest and slowly twisting the knife.

"You're preaching to the choir," Mia said with pain in her voice.

He watched wistfully as the young woman he had come to see as his own granddaughter walked down the aisle in her wedding dress. He couldn't remember her ever looking more angelic than now. Mia began walking slower and slower and her smile seemed to falter. Joseph was on his toes immediately.

"I… I'm going to need a minute or two," Mia said in a weak voice before dashing out of the church. Clarisse hastened past him and out the doors after her granddaughter. Silently he slipped out after his queen. Clarisse was talking to Mia with an urgent look in her blue eyes. Joseph's microphone buzzed and he heard Shades' voice in his ear.

"Anyone got a 20 on Joseph?"

"I'm with the Eagle and Sparrow," he replied, looking straight ahead to give the queen and princess some privacy. However, a sentence carried to his well-trained ears and made his heart break yet again.

"… now I've lost the only man I've ever _really_ loved."

His eyes followed the princess as she went back into the church, then they shot to the woman he loved more than anything. Clarisse was trying to gather herself and when she finally faced him, every trace of emotion was gone and it broke his heart to see her back into her "queen-mode". For a second their eyes met and Joseph was taken aback by the amount of heart-break that shone in her deep blue eyes. For just a second he could believe that she felt as bad as he did, for a second he believed in her love for him. But then she averted her eyes and went back into the church. Never before had she lowered her eyes to anyone.

When he entered the church again, Mia was not standing at the altar, much to his relief. As she spoke to the people in the church, Joseph could see the queen she would one day be and it warmed his heart to see the strong and beautiful young woman she had grown into. 'So like her grandmother,' he thought sadly.

"Does anyone second my motion?" Mia asked with an authority in her voice that told him what a wonderful queen she would be someday. Joseph's stomach turned into a knot, which finally loosened as the motion was approved. Mia's voice then sounded in his ear.

"Charlotte, can I speak to grandma?" He frowned slightly as Charlotte gave her earphone to Clarisse.

"Grandma?" Clarisse pulled at the earphone with a surprised "oh!"

"Just because I didn't get my fairy-tale ending, doesn't mean you shouldn't," Mia said. Joseph's frown deepened. What in the world was Mia talking about? Still he looked straight ahead. Clarisse's confused voice filled his ears as she asked Charlotte, "Did you hear that?" The assistant's deadpan but witty reply brought laughter to the queen and Joseph's heart leaped at the sound.

"Joseph?" the queen called softly. He went to stand before her, front and centre.

"Your Majesty," he acknowledged with a small bow, unwilling to look her in the eyes.

"Dear Joseph…" Finally his eyes found hers in a questioning look. Not quite sure where this was going, he decided not to speak. Clarisse looked happy but nervous and her hands were shaking slightly.

"Am I too late… to ask you to accept my hand in marriage?" That was certainly not what he had expected from her and nothing she could have said would have surprised him more. Clearing his throat, he replied dryly, "Well, I thought you'd never ask." Her face lit up in a glorious smile that made him fall in love with her all over again.

"Shades," he said, handing his hat and earphone to the man. "You're in charge now, good luck with Lionel. I'm going to a wedding." Gallantly he offered his arm to Clarisse and together they walked up the aisle. Glowing with happiness, Clarisse spoke.

"I know it's short notice but you were all dressed!" Joseph smiled at the woman he loved's comment. Finally they reached the altar and Clarisse addressed the Archbishop.

"My Lord Archbishop, I would like to take this man as my husband, if you please." With a smile and a glance heavenwards, the Archbishop said, "Finally!" Joseph and Clarisse glanced briefly at each other with slight surprise. Each of them smiled a bit at each other before looking back at the Archbishop.

Joseph had never felt happier that he did when he placed the ring on Clarisse's finger.

"You may kiss the bride." The words hardly registered in Joseph's mind but he pulled his new wife close and finally their lips met in a sweet kiss.

Clarisse's mind was in turmoil as they kissed. She felt as though her body was on fire, she was so happy. Sure, it had been a spur of the moment decision but she knew she wouldn't regret it. She had never felt love as she did it with Joseph.

They broke apart and walked down the aisle, both of them radiating happiness.

"Congratulations, Clarisse, Joe!" They heard Charlotte's happy voice, choked by tears. "You deserve to be happy and we all prefer that you're happy together!" 'Finally,' she thought. 'Finally they stopped wango-ing around each other and started wango-ing together.'

THE END


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